JobStar-- Hidden Job Market Quiz

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The best jobs are never advertised.

Find out why and what to do about it.
How to network, research employers and create your own Hidden Job Market plan.

Is the Hidden Job Market Going to Work for Me?

Do any of these statements apply to YOU?
1. I check the classified ads every day but there are no job openings for someone like me.
2. I find ads in the classifieds and send in a great resume and cover letter but I never hear from the advertiser again.
3. I am overqualified for the job openings I find.
4. I lack a degree or years of required experience for the job openings I see.
5. No one in MY town needs anyone who does what I do.
6. I've been working for years but I've never looked for a job before in my life.
7. I know I could do the job if I could only get an interview.
8. I am willing to conduct my job search with the same skill, persistence and creativity that I bring to my job.
9. The Hidden Job Market is only for executives and professionals.
10. I don't know many people, I'm new in town, I'm shy, I can't handle it when people say "no" to me.

1. I check the classified ads every day but there are no job openings for someone like me.
Only a small number of employers ever use newspaper classified ads! From the employer's point of view, these ads are expensive, time-consuming and slow.
Many employers rely on word-of-mouth recommendations from their employees or colleagues. Resumes and contacts from qualified job seekers have a good chance of being considered for openings. Hidden Job Market techniques can help you develop your network so your name is the first mentioned to an interested employer.
"Job ads" and "job descriptions" are pretty artificial constructs when you think about it! But you need them if you're going to go to the trouble of advertising a job.
What ISN'T artificial is someone running a business thinking: "I have to get this problem solved." For every ad in the newspaper, there are a hundred employers wishing they had someone to solve a problem for them. The Hidden Job Market, at its most basic, is a process of discovering the employers who have problems that YOUR skills can solve.
If you're not finding the jobs you want in the Want Ads, you need the Hidden Job Market.

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2. I find ads in the classifieds and send in a great resume and cover letter but I never hear from the advertiser again.
Newspaper classified ads are MASS marketing. Employers get tons of resumes from these ads. A quick scan through the resumes, often by a clerical employee, weeds out the small number who exactly match the requirements stated in the ad.
If you can get the employer's attention when the company is NOT weighed down with tons of resumes, you'll be the first applicant considered. Hidden Job Market techniques can help you spot the most appropriate and likely companies who are NOT currently submerged in resumes.
If you're not a perfect match for the jobs you see in the classifieds, you need the Hidden Job Market.

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3. I am overqualified for the job openings I find.
You're not alone! This statement applies to many experienced job seekers. Job ads work best for entry-level jobs. If you have more than a few years of experience you may NEVER see a job ad that is appropriate for you!
Why? After you've established yourself in an occupation, the assumption is: if you're any good the employer will know about you. Of course this isn't strictly true. But employers manage to hear about enough established workers to make the connections on their own.
If you're an employer looking for a middle-level manager (an occupation hard-hit of late), you can "ask around" for the names of employed (or unemployed) managers in this setting, interview one or two, and you've got a new manager! Networking techniques can help you get YOUR name into this conversation.
Experienced candidates need the Hidden Job Market to find positions and employers who are the best match.

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4. I lack a degree or years of required experience for the job openings I see.
If you can get to the employer BEFORE the job ad is written up, you'll stand a much better chance.
How come? The employer starts with a problem that needs to be solved: "We have to speed up accounts receivable. Maybe we need a new computer system? Maybe we need better inventory controls?" At this early stage, the focus is on the problem and possible solutions.
The employer will scout around for an easy solution: transfer an employee or hire a consultant or write new procedures. If the easy solutions don't work, the next stage is to think about hiring someone. If you can "hook up" with the employer at either the problem stage or at the "let's think about hiring someone stage," your lack of a degree or extensive experience may not be an obstacle. Hiring you will be quick and easy and many employers like to "trust their gut" about whether someone can do a job.
If no easy solution appears, the employer may decide to advertise the job. The more the job is discussed and described, the more requirements get added: "How much experience would this person need?" the employer asks. "I've been here for five years," says the senior accounts receivable clerk. "Probably seven to ten years of experience then," says the boss. "And they'd need at least a Master's Degree, right boss?" "Sure, a Master's ought to work."
This is the way business really works. You might as well make it work FOR you by making contact early on in the process. Hidden Job Market techniques help you identify employers who may be thinking about solving a problem you can solve.
If you lack sterling credentials, you need Hidden Job Market techniques to reach employers BEFORE they advertise a job.

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5. No one in MY town needs anyone who does what I do.
How do you know? Because you're not seeing classified ads for your target position? Not convincing. Do some research to discover employers in your area who are in your target industry: clothing manufacture, transportation, laboratory analysis.
Because you were caught in a mass downsizing and many of your friends and colleagues are still unemployed? Odds are the majority of these folks are NOT using the Hidden Job Market. They are checking classified ads. The Hidden Job Market requires a lot of work on your part but it will get you off the "beaten path." Use your research and creativity and persistence to define and go after a unique job market tailored to you.
Because you worked in a unique setting for a one-of-a-kind employer? Start thinking about allied industries and your attractive skills. If you were in advertising, say, for the only newspaper in town, think about the customers you dealt with every day: local advertising agencies where your insider knowledge and experience would give you an edge. Or large local advertisers who may need someone to manage their advertising.
As you work through the Hidden Job Market you must focus on skills, problems solved and value rather than on job titles and a single employer. Look for the "tune" of your work history rather than the words....who else is singing this song?
If you've run out of ideas, use research to develop leads to employers in the Hidden Job Market.

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6. I've been working for years but I've never looked for a job before in my life.
Chances are, then, that all the jobs you've ever had had found YOU rather than you looking for them!
You've been using the Hidden Job Market!
Most people find their jobs from other people, not from ads. Someone calls you or you hear about a position from a friend or co-worker, and you have a new job. The only problem with finding a job this way is making it work for you when you need it!
If you need a job NOW, you'll have to make it happen by making the contacts with your network and potential employers. It's a lot harder than waiting for a phone call out of the blue, but it's where the best jobs are found.
You know the Hidden Job Market works, because you've been using it.

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7. I know I could do the job if I could only get an interview.
One of the advantages of the Hidden Job Market is: from your first contact with the employer, the interview has begun! You want to find the person with the ability to hire you in your target company. Your contacts, whether telephone, in person or email, are a chance for the employer to get a "feel" for you beyond the impersonal black and white of a resume and cover letter.
You'll want to be prepared for these initial contacts and to handle objections and put your best foot forward.
Hidden Job Market techniques will get you talking to employers early in the job search and presenting your best case in person.

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8. I am willing to conduct my job search with the same skill, persistence and creativity that I bring to my job.
The Hidden Job Market works precisely because it requires so much effort from the job seeker! Employers are people too. And like most people they prefer to use the easiest method for accomplishing a task. For the employer, the Hidden Job Market is extremely easy. They wait "for the phone call out of the blue" from someone who can solve their problems. If the caller is on target and the timing is right, nothing could be easier for the employer.
Job seekers who work the Hidden Job Market are more persistent, creative and results-oriented than job seekers who rely on classified ads. Employers instinctively know that Hidden Job Market job seekers are the "creme de la creme." These are the kind of employees they want!
Congratulations! You are a PRIME candidate for the Hidden Job Market.

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9. The Hidden Job Market is only for executives and professionals.
While it is true that executives and professionals NEED the Hidden Job Market, other job seekers use it quite successfully.
If you are a factory worker, the accepted method of job seeking is to visit the factory and fill out an application. If you are an auto mechanic, you visit local garages and talk to the head mechanic. If you're looking for a sales clerk job, you target local retail shops and ask to speak with the owner or manager. Notice you're NOT waiting for an ad to appear in the newspaper.
Whether you are an executive, professional or ordinary worker, chances are you do NOT know all the potential employers in your area. You'll want to research local employers and "grow" a list of your possible contacts.
Electra's favorite story is about a young man who was looking for a job as a laborer. He asked Electra to help him create a list of companies that installed or maintained athletic track facilities at local parks, high schools and colleges. He'd run track in high school and wanted to explore this setting. List in hand, he contacted these companies--most of whom are "invisible" to the general public. The companies were extremely impressed with his focus and creativity and he had a job in no time flat!
No matter what your professional level, Hidden Job Market Techniques can help your job search.

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10. I don't know many people, I'm new in town, I'm shy, I can't handle it when people say "no" to me.
Very few job seekers find the Hidden Job Market COMFORTABLE. This is the good news: it means that you've cut out 90% of the competition from other job seekers by even trying!
Support from job search organizations can help you get more comfortable with networking, shyness and handling objections and rejection. See JobStar's Career Centers to make a connection that can make all the difference--not just to your job search, but to your career.
With some help, support and guidance, the Hidden Job Market can work for you.